My year by year is:
3.8cGPA, 3.74sGPA Year I
2.74cGPA 2.11sGPA Year II (Large impact on GPA isfirst half which was downright awful, second half was not awful but only average)
2.89cGPA 2.8sGPAYear III (First half was very, very good, but then as I mentioned in first post second half was time that tragedy happened
3.73cGPA 3.56sGPA First half of Year 4, projecting 3.8-9 for second half for both cGPA and sGPA
My bad science grades were Physics and Organic Chem, but Ive retaken almost all (still retaking last part of Physics and Orgo and hope to get As in them). Ive done well in freshman bio, medium in middle level bio classes, and done very well in upper level bio courses like Microbiology/Animal Physiology.
You did include all grades earned, even where you retook a class, even if you school "forgave" a bad grade, right?
This is how adcomms are going to see your grades laid out, year-by-year. The fact that you had a decent semester mixed into each of sophomore and junior years won't be readily apparent. One blip in the academic road isn't unusual and is often forgiven. Having two, even with good reason, will be worrisome to adcomms, so I feel it will be very important for you to address this in Secondary essays where the opportunity is offered. It is more unusual to bomb sophomore year after a great freshman year, so get a good story ready, what you learned, why it won't happen again. Your excellent MCAT score will ensure that your entire transcript is thoroughly analyzed. Retaking the prerequisites that you did poorly in was a very good idea. Taking upper-level Bio and excelling will also reflect positively and be reassuring.
Your application strategy when stats are so disparate should be to apply broadly to a range of school selectivity types. Pick out 3-5 dream schools (up to 10 if your pocketbook can handle it), at least 10 in the mid range and ten in the less-selective range. Plan on 25-30 total. Maybe this is overly conservative, but it's better to be safer than to need a second application cycle (which could happen anyway). Which brings us to concern #2:
I have a decent amount of research experience (2/3 of frosh year, two summers, and this upcoming summer), both clinical and basic science, with a couple poster presentations and one abstract published as second author.
I have clinical experience from volunteering, shadowing, and doing research in a clinical setting that allowed me to interact with patients.
I also have been involved in some political campaigns as an intern/volunteer/student leader etc.
The research sounds fine. Maybe you could be more specific about types of volunteering, years of clinical experience, total hours for that (with research and other) and nonmedical community service. Also, hours of shadowing and types of docs?
Also, tell more about the leadership and whether any teaching was done or planned? Hobbies, sports, and artistic endeavors?
What did you plan for the glide year? Have you given consideration to taking additional coursework to show consistent solid performance over a longer time (not necessarily full-time)?
